House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 15 Oct 2008 (pt 0031)

15 Oct 2008 : Column 1315W—continued

Figures for the Government offices in 2002-03 are not available and for 2003-04 are for part of the year only. Figures for taxi expenditure incurred by the Department’s Executive agencies are not available centrally.

Innovation, Universities and Skills

Adult Education: Standards

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what plans his Department has to require colleges to accept targets from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for adult education courses which are not themselves funded by the LSC; and if he will make a statement. [225050]

Mr. Simon: We are committed to continuing to increase Government investment in adult skills. Alongside this investment from Government there needs to be a shared responsibility for investment in skills and training by learners and employers, especially where they realise the greatest private returns.

Increasing income through fees, including activity not funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is a key part of ensuring there is a full range of provision available to adult learners.

The LSC have developed a consistent national framework designed to help colleges understand the scope they have for increasing fee income. While some colleges have responded very proactively and innovatively to this agenda, increasing both income and choice for learners, other colleges have not seen it as a priority.

We have therefore been working with the LSC, the Learning and Skills Improvement Service and the Association of Colleges to create a package of support consisting of good practice guides, a fees toolkit and workshops. This support is designed to help all colleges understand how they can adopt fee strategies which have seen other colleges expand fee income and increase learner choice.

Alongside this the LSC have introduced fee income targets to ensure that the profile and importance of this agenda is clear to all colleges. This will also ensure that we are able to recognise the overall volume of education and training delivered by FE colleges outside of LSC funding.

Apprentices: Newcastle-under-Lyme

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills (1) how many apprenticeships were (a) available and (b) taken up in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (ii) North Staffordshire in 2007-08; [226603]

15 Oct 2008 : Column 1316W

(2) what apprenticeships were (a) made available and (b) taken up in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (ii) North Staffordshire in 2007-08. [226604]

Mr. Simon: The latest fully audited data that we have is for the 2006/07 academic year. Figures are not directly available for North Staffordshire. Figures have been provided for Staffordshire local authority.

Apprenticeships are demand-led and employer responsive; therefore the number of apprenticeship places available is determined by the number of places employers are able to offer and subject to learner demand. That is why, in terms of monitoring performance, we focus on the number of people who actually start on an apprenticeship programme.

“World-class Apprenticeships” confirmed our commitment to stimulate a greater supply of apprenticeship places with employers. This is a key element of the remit of the new National Apprenticeship Service and its National Vacancy Matching Service which will help employers advertise apprenticeship vacancies and enable prospective apprentices to apply for them online.

Table 1 shows apprenticeship starts for 2006/07 for Staffordshire and Newcastle-Under-Lyme, and nationally.

Table 2 lists the apprenticeship starts in Staffordshire in 2006/07 by Sector Framework of Learning.

Table 3 lists the apprenticeship starts in Newcastle-under-Lyme by Sector Framework of Learning.

Table 1: Apprenticeship starts in 2006/07 by geographical area
Area	Starts
Nationally	184,000
Staffordshire⁽¹⁾	3,590
Newcastle-under-Lyme⁽²⁾	450
⁽¹⁾ Staffordshire local authority based on learner’s home postcode. ⁽²⁾ Newcastle-under-Lyme parliamentary constituency based on learner’s home postcode. Note: Figures include apprenticeships, advanced apprenticeships and a very small number of higher level apprenticeships. Source: ILR work-based learning data.

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Table 2: Apprenticeship starts in 2006/07 in Staffordshire local authority by Sector Framework of Learning
Sector Framework of Learning	Starts
Accountancy	110
Active Leisure and Learning	60
Agricultural Crops and Livestock	10
Amenity Horticulture	30
Animal Care	⁽¹⁾—
Automotive Industry	10
Aviation	⁽¹⁾—
Barbering	⁽¹⁾—
Building Services Engineering Technicians	⁽¹⁾—
Business Administration	340
Children’s Care Learning and Development	230
Communications Technologies (Telecoms)	10
Construction	400
Contact Centres	110
Customer Service	330
Dental Nursing	20
Driving Goods Vehicles	10
Electrical and Electronic Servicing	⁽¹⁾—
Electricity Industry	⁽¹⁾—
Electrotechnical	110
Emergency Fire Service Operations	⁽¹⁾—
Engineering	180
Engineering Construction	⁽¹⁾—
Equine Industry	20
Farriery	⁽¹⁾—
Fencing	⁽¹⁾—
Floristry	⁽¹⁾—
Food and Drink Manufacturing Operations	⁽¹⁾—
Furniture Industry	⁽¹⁾—
Gas Industry	20
Glass Industry	⁽¹⁾—
Hairdressing	270
Health and Social Care	140
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration	10
Hospitality and Catering	360
Industrial Applications	40
IT Services and Development	20
IT User	60
Land-based Service Engineering	10
Mail Services	⁽¹⁾—
Management	60
Meat and Poultry Processing	10
Optical Advisor	⁽¹⁾—
Pharmacy Technicians	⁽¹⁾—
Plumbing	100
Polymer Processing and Signmaking	⁽¹⁾—
Printing	10
Property Services	⁽¹⁾—
Retail	160
Security Industry	⁽¹⁾—
Sporting Excellence	10
Storage and Warehousing	40
Teaching Assistants	⁽¹⁾—
Textiles	⁽¹⁾—
Transport Engineering and Maintenance	⁽¹⁾—
Travel and Tourism Services Leisure and Business	30
Trees and Timber	⁽¹⁾—
Vehicle Body and Paint Operations	20
Vehicle Fitting	10
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair	160
Vehicle Parts Operations	10
Vehicle Sales	⁽¹⁾—
Veterinary Nursing	20
Wholesale, Distribution, Warehousing and Storage	40
Total	3,590
⁽¹⁾ Represents a number less than 10. Notes: 1. Staffordshire local authority based on learner’s home postcode 2. Figures include apprenticeships, advanced apprenticeships, and a very small number of higher level apprenticeships. 3. Figures may not sum to the total due to rounding. Source: ILR work-based learning data.

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Table 3: Apprenticeship starts in 2006/07 in Newcastle-under-Lyme parliamentary constituency by Sector Framework of Learning
Sector Framework of Learning	Starts
Accountancy	20
Active Leisure and Learning	⁽¹⁾—
Agricultural Crops and Livestock	⁽¹⁾—
Amenity Horticulture	⁽¹⁾—
Animal Care	⁽¹⁾—
Automotive Industry	⁽¹⁾—
Building Services Engineering Technicians	⁽¹⁾—
Business Administration	40
Children’s Care Learning and Development	30
Construction	40
Contact Centres	50
Customer Service	50
Dental Nursing	⁽¹⁾—
Electrotechnical	10
Engineering	20
Equine Industry	⁽¹⁾—
Furniture Industry	⁽¹⁾—
Gas Industry	⁽¹⁾—
Hairdressing	30
Health and Social Care	10
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration	⁽¹⁾—
Hospitality and Catering	30
Industrial Applications	10
IT Services and Development	⁽¹⁾—
IT User	20
Management	10
Plumbing	10
Retail	20
Storage and Warehousing	⁽¹⁾—
Textiles	⁽¹⁾—
Travel and Tourism Services Leisure and Business	⁽¹⁾—
Vehicle Body and Paint Operations	⁽¹⁾—
Vehicle Fitting	⁽¹⁾—
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair	20
Vehicle Parts Operations	⁽¹⁾—
Wholesale, Distribution, Warehousing and Storage	⁽¹⁾—
Total	450
⁽¹⁾ Represents a number less than 10. Notes: 1. Newcastle-under-Lyme parliamentary constituency based on learner’s home postcode 2. Figures include apprenticeships, advanced apprenticeships, and a very small number of higher level apprenticeships. 3. Figures may not sum to the total due to rounding. Source: ILR work-based learning data.

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